Our approach to sustainability

As a food services business, we acknowledge our obligation to consider our practices to create sustainable products and reduce our waste and usage of resources.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

In 2020, we committed to contribute to the achievement of the SDGs. We have selected the most relevant SDGs to our business and where we can make the biggest contribution. In 2022, management and the Social and Ethics Committee approved targets for each SDG, and we began measuring our progress against these.

In August 2023, we commissioned a consultancy with in-depth sustainability experience to review our selected five SDGs and reaffirm whether these were the most appropriate for our business. While we noted improvements against the SDG targets and our sustainability KPIs each year, we recognised that some of the SDGs and KPIs were not fully aligned with our business. The review proposed that Famous Brands adopt three additional SDGs and remove two SDGs.

In addition, SDGs will be categorised as primary or secondary goals. The primary goals refer to those SDGs that are strongly aligned with the Group’s core business and vision, while the secondary goals are related to our skills development, socio-economic development and CSI activities.

Read more about our sustainability performance in 2024.

Plastic waste reduction and recycling initiatives

At Famous Brands, we monitor plastic use across our operations and continue to introduce eco-friendly solutions. We adapt brand packaging materials to align with best practices and continuously seeks to reduce our reliance on plastic.

In 2019, Famous Brands introduced a packaging initiative to provide better, more environmentally friendly packaging across the brands. Over the last few years, these improvements have seen Famous Brands reduce plastic consumption by 423.8 tonnes per year.

Read more about our plastic waste success stories in 2024.

Extended Producer Responsibility

In May 2021, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment introduced Section 18 Extended Producer Responsibility regulations as part of the Waste Act. These regulations aim to ensure that producers take greater responsibility for the lifecycle of their products, including post-consumption waste disposal. The aim is that more waste will be diverted from landfills, and recycling and other circular economy activities will be supported.

The Group has registered with several producer responsibility organisations that manage the Extended Producer Responsibility schemes for various packaging schemes and are 100% compliant with Section 18 requirements as legislated by the department.

South Africa Food Loss and Waste Agreement

Famous Brands became a core signatory to the South Africa Food Loss and Waste Agreement in 2021. This agreement was developed by the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. As a signatory, our commitments include the following:

• Contribute to achieving the SDG target 12.3: “By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses”.
• Adopt the food utilisation hierarchy, which prioritises increased food utilisation and waste reduction, and redistributing edible, nutritious surplus food for human consumption and creating secondary markets for surplus food while considering food safety.
  Confidentially report our annual quantities of food waste and quantities diverted to food surplus redistribution, according to the agreed reporting protocol.

Our efforts are focused on the following:

• Reducing food waste in our Manufacturing division by 50% by 2030.
• Identifying food loss and waste arising from our operations and isolating the underlying causes.
• Ensuring that food safety is maintained at every level.
• Supporting our non-profit partner SA Harvest to redistribute edible surplus food to those in need.

We have an established partnership with the charitable organisation SA Harvest whose mission is to end hunger in South Africa. This relationship began during the pandemic when Famous Brands management worked closely with the organisation to re-distribute stock that our hibernated operations could not use. We continue to work with them and other non-profits to distribute food close to its expiry date.

Our food philosophy

We create food that is good for our consumers, employees, franchise partners, local communities and the environment. We believe in FOOD with thought. We acknowledge the need to regularly assess our FOOD philosophy practices seeing if they align with best practices. This means we will:

• Frequently review and update our goals and timeframes.
• Assess and respond to emerging health and wellness trends, sustainability and our communities.
• Consider our stakeholders’ evolving interests and expectations.
• Be accountable for our actions

Responsible sourcing

Famous Brands only procures from reputable suppliers that have undergone our stringent vetting process. Most suppliers have service level agreements outlining expected quality and service standards, and we schedule site visits to ensure that suppliers continue to uphold our standards.

Enabling better food choices

When creating our menus, we consider the Department of Health’s objectives of lowering obesity and promoting healthy living. Our brands’ menus accommodate dietary needs, food allergies, intolerances, and lifestyle preferences.

Our Leading Brands’ menus have “Better for You” options, including vegetarian and vegan options. Our sugar-free sodas are priced lower than regular sodas. Steers allows customers to swap bottled water for sweetened beverages.

Fishaways promotes a variety of “Healthier for you” meals under 500 calories. Our bun and sauce recipes exclude eggs, which makes them allergen and vegan-friendly. Our TruFruit juice range was reformulated to reduce sugar below the sugar-tax threshold.

All Leading Brands have full kilojoule counts on their menus, while full nutritional guidelines, including allergens, are on our Leading Brands’ websites. Customers have indicated that having kilojoule counts available is helpful and guides their decision making.

In 2023, draft amendments were made to Regulation 146 relating to the Labelling and Advertising of Foodstuffs. The proposed regulations aim to create more transparency in the labelling of foodstuffs. The outcome of this will impact Famous Brands’ retail products.